Measuring Up
by Rabbiht
Summary: Yaoi Warning Ed18 hasn't seen Al17 for 2 years and waited nervously for his chance to visit his brother. Now he ventures back to Central for their reunion. Note: Al never went back to modern day with Ed, and the Shimbala movie never occured.
1. Going Home

**To be competely honest with himself, he was terrified. Not just scared, but out of his mind nervous. Edward Elric paced teh wooden floor in his bedroom nervously. Then, ready to leave, he reached for the brass door knob with his human hand. Without even touching it, he could feel the chill it emitted into the room. Quickly, he retracted his hand with a deep sigh and begun to pace once more. His room wasn't very large which made pacing difficult. One, two, three steps, turn, one, two, three steps, turn. Edward began to get light-headed after continuous turning and sat on the end of his bed, drumming his thumbs soundlessly on his knees.**

**The source of his nervousness would waltz through the door any minute.**

**His father entered moments later, drenched head to toe from the downpour outside. It was only then that Ed heard the constand **_thud_**of the rain against the shingles on the roof.**

**Edward wasn't afraid of his father, it was why the older man had come to fetch his son that made him on-edge.**

_**"Edward, I'll come to retrieve you as soon as it's ready, which will take a few hours. We only have minutes, no, seconds to actually make it work."**_

_**"Will you be coming with me?"**_

_**"No, son. but do say "hello" to your brother for me."**_

**Every two and a half years, the bridge between the world of Alchemy and the world of Technology, Ed's world, opened. Today was such a day. Ed's plan was to visit his brother, Alfonse Elric, in Central when he crossed the boarder line into the other world. It would be his first time seeing everyone since he had gone to his father's side to save Al's life that fateful day in the lost city. Ed was eighteen and a half now, and he felt that his knowledge and understandment had greatly improved since leaving his home behind. Living with his father had opened up new posibilities for him. He no longer was able to use alchemy there, but where he lived, a different kind of science prevailed.**

**Now Ed's real problem had begun, Al. After two and a half years, Ed thought that maybe, just maybe he could slip by the visit without revealing a sinful secret. The sooner the time got for the worlds to link, the more Edward began to doubt himself. His secret: his lustful desire to make Al, his own flesh and blood, his, and his alone. Every time Al's face would appear in Ed's mind, his craving would take days to repress.**

**Now the thought of his younger brother inticed im, eating away at his hard work to contain himself. His father's long black trench coat dripped on teh floor, making a small puddle at his feet. Edward rose, picking his own gray coat off of the end of bed as he passed it on his way out. They both walked in silence down the bare streets of London. The rain pounded their heads roughly, keeping Ed from looking up.**

**Finally, they arrived at their, less-then-impressive destination. It was a ruddy, old appartment building, collapsing from the pressure the ceiling beams were puttin gon the supports. Add that to thirty years of rust and grime and everyone stayed away, leaving father and son to work in solitude. **

**They entered using the building's skeleton key without being noticed. A large antique wooden door lay in the middle of the room. The frame work was astounding and a polished silver knocker in the shape of a lions roaring mouth lay magnificently in the center. Around it were tools, workbenches, chairs, and other miscalanious objects. A large clock sat on the wall, ticking away noisily.**

**Edward knew this place well, coming here after school every afternoon and staying well into the night.**

**Books lay opened all around the door with funny symbols and characters drawn on the floor beside them.**

**How was he going to see everyone with having to painfully suppress himself. Again, being dreadfully honest with himself, not to much had changed regarding his physical appearence. His dull blonde hair had grown a few inches longer down his back, still messily braided. He had grown maybe three inches in two years and he cursed, ungratefully, at that. Edward still only had half his human limbs remaining, but crisp white gloves kept his hands from being exposed. His skin was the palest it had been all year, due to the lack of sun he had recieved. Despite the seemingly lack of change in appearence, there was one thing different. A long diagonal lined scar traced from his mid-forehead all the way down over his left eye to the ridge in his cheekbone. A school fight with an older boy won him that prize. His muscles weren't buldging but nobody could deny their existance either. Extensive combat training had made Ed faster then he'd ever been. Overall, he was almost completely hapy with himself, not including his being vertically challenged. **

**Ed and his father shared numerous laughs about Al's appearence. Both agreed he would be as tall as Ed with a more feminen look about him. That, after all, was what fueled Ed's desires.**

**Mr. Elric took off his coat and flung it effortlessly over a nearby table. Rolling up his white sleeves, he resumed making symbols around the door. Ed did the same, mimicking the pattern of circles and other shapes.**

**Edward wiped sweat off of his forehead onto a handkerchief that had been stuffed into his breast pocket earlier. He didn't dare glance at the gold pocket watch dangiling from a pant pocket.**

**Finally, all the signals were done and it was time to go. Ed furrowed his brow in anxiety as he waited for something to happen. His father shrugged tiredly looking sideways at the large clock on the wall. **

**First, the symbols glowed, then the door frame glowed, with all the light, Ed felt like he might glow too. Getting up, Mr. Elric strided over to his son's side.**

**"Now, hopefully, you don't end up somewhere you shouldn't be," he put a sturdy hand on Edward's shoulder.**

**"If I'm lucky, I'll wind up at a bar before I reach Central," Ed mumbled feeling a quisiness in the pit of his stomach.**

**His father lifted an eyebrow and Ed rolled his eyes. Then, he stepped foreward. He bent over to pick up the silver knocker and pulled it up, flinging the whole door open. Edward groaned in obvious dislike as he looked at their portal. It looked like any other cement floor. Unwillingly, he stepped foreward again. To his surprise, his foot sunk into the floor. Yelping loudly, his whole body began to sink into a frozen obyss. Closing his eyes, Edward held his breath, hearing his father's hearty laugh as the last of his body was engulfed.**

**Even after the icyness wore off, Ed refused to open his eyes.**

**"Edward? Edward Elric?" a familar female voice called out to him.**

**"Shit," Edward sighed. He had ended up exactly where his father had intended him to end up, in Central. Even worse, in hearquarters, where he wouldn't have time to plan his escape if needed. And at the moment, he needed that plan more then anything.**


	2. Library Visitors

**Ed froze to the spot as realization sunk in. There was no way, now, that he'd be able to escape unnoticed.**

**"Fullmetal, it's good to see you back," Riza's voice showed no hint of emotion, like always.**

**"Yeah, ah, it's good to see you too, Lt. Hawkeye," Ed rambled unenthusiastically frowning. Ed finally opened his eyes to see Riza just how he remembered her. There was, however, a distinct difference. Her stomach, was abnormally larger, as if swollen. "You're..." Edward didn't quite know how to press the matter.**

**Immediately, she softened up, seeing his blushed expression, "ah, yes. Three weeks to go." She gave Edward a rare smile. He attempted to give one back but was unable.**

**Edward decided that he didn't want to know the father's name. Before he could tell the Lt. not to warn anyone he was there, a wide intimidating smirk spread across her tanned face. Ed eyed her suspiciously, "what?" he whined.**

**"It's nothing, much," she faught back another smile, "so you haven't seen Alfonse in two years?" It was a retorhical question. "Well, I hope he measures up to your expectations," Lt. Hawkeye ushered him out of her office, that he uninvitingly ended up in.**

_**Is this some joke?**_** Ed thought to himself, troubled. Haughtily, he stormed down the hallway, towards the exit. He decided that he would go to the library before going to see Al. He needed to think, alone. The Library at Central was always empty. He figured there, at least, he could have some time to think. Lt. Hawkeye had probably informed the others of his arrival, so time was of the essence.**

**He flashed his silver pocket watch to the guard outside the building who let him pass without hassle. "Well it's a good thing I kept this," Edward sighed walking up the front steps. He turned the encrested watch over in his fingers lazily, running his thumbs over the decorative work on its casing.**

**He slipped it back in his pocket and made his way to the furthest back tables, behind the thousands of rows of books. Ed's footsteps echoed off of the marble floors in the lobby.**

**In the back of the library, Ed found himself a table, conviniently located in a tucked away portion of the west branch of the library.**

**He ran his fingers down the middle shelf as he scavenged for a book to get his mind off of things, perticularly the anticipation he had for his visit with Al. His eyes wondered down the isle when he caught a glimpse of an interesting looking book about physics, of course, on a higher shelf, out of his reach.**

**Ed reached for it, streatching up on his toes for an extra boost. He couldn't reach it. He carefully leaned his slender body against the wooden shelf. His fingers fumbled around the top shelf, Edward, grunting, and cursing at the sheer hight of the case.**

**"If you needed help, you could've asked someone. Obviously, reaching won't help. Don't worry, you'll grow soon," a calm unfamilar voice broke the almost silence.**

**A large hand easily reached past Ed's face and grabbed the rather large physics book.**

**"I'm not short!" Edward's face grew bright red with anger. "I have grown for your information, so don't call me a shrimp! And I didn't need help, I..."Ed spun around on his heels and snatched the book from the other man's grasp. **

**The man stood perfectly still, his facial expression was hard with surprise, yet showed horror. The man loomed over Ed at 6 feet two inches.**

**"How rude," Ed grumbled walking a way at a quick pace.**

**"Ed..?" the man's voice was shaky and unclear. It was just enough for Ed to stop in his place.**

**"How do you know my name?" he paused for a brief moment thumbing the book, "actually, never mind I don't care," he continued down the row idling at one book on the way out of the isle.**

**The man took only a few strides and was right next to Edward, "wait, brother."**


	3. Differences

"Brother?" Ed whipped around to look the now, oddly familar face. It was true, he hadn't noticed before but there were similarities. But, how could this be his little brother? "Al?" Edward managed to choke out.

Alfonse Elric grinned suddenly, his face lightening to house the smile. "Ed! I knew you'd be back soon!" he grabbed his older brother around the waist, hoisting him off of the ground suddenly. He spun, crushing Edward to his chest.

"What? Wait! Al? What the hell?" Edward yelled, his eyes wide and his face red with embarassment, "oi, let me down!"

Finally hearing his brother, Al let him down slowly, his smile somewhat fading, but traces were still found on his face. Ed sighed and dropped into a nearby chair, exhaling loudly. Al grabbed himself a chair and pulled it over by his brother's. "Good to see you too, Al," Edward tryed to sound happy, but even to himself, his voice sounded unconvincing. Ed examined his younger brother, inspecting every detail of this new change in appearence.

Al was 6 ft. something-or-other, Ed decided knowing his brother's hight might only put him in a worse mood. His hair was sandy blonde, not quite like Ed's own, but darker. Al's eyes were a caramel color, filled with excitement and happiness, still holding on to innocence. He was lengthy for seventeen, with long legs and arms. Al's chest was built, his arms not as developed as Edward's, but they fit well on his body type. His clothes were quite different from Ed's whose consisted of a pair of black trousers and a white button-up long sleeve white shirt. His pocket watch hung from his pocket and his automail was outdated by many years. Compared to the look of old London, Al was seemingly wearing newer clothes, more up to date. He wore a pair of faded blue jeans, a light blue tee shirt and a long white lab coat. The best description Ed could think of was someone from the past sitting with someone sitting with someone from the future. And technically it was true.

Though there was one object in perticular that caught Ed's eye. A silver earring encrested with the alchemist symbol clung to Al's right ear. The earring was looped tightly around the bottom to Al's ear, hooking to the other side. It wasn't extremely large, but it was hard for Ed not to notice.

Al caught Ed examining his earring, "this? oh it's basically the equivilant to the pocket watch. They're sort of out dated, though people like the general and higher ups still use them. The rest of us have these, they're easier to carry around." He smiled running his finger over the stud.

Ed noticed the way Al had used the word "us." He pondered for a moment before asking the question he already knew the answer to, "you're a state alchemist now?" Ed tried to keep a surprised tone in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm not really into the whole fighting thing though. They have me in the science wing," another smile reached his eyes, "I'm head of the department." Alfonse stated it proudly.

"Really?" now Ed couldn't help but be surprised and proud of his little brother. _How much did I miss_? Edward thought sadly.

"Can I ask something?" Al folded one arm across his chest, he used it to prop up his other arm, now holding up his head. This posture was different. It seemed more mature, almost as if the child Ed knew was gone. Al's eyes hardened slightly, then noticing his own posture, he softened, folding his hands in his lap, leaning foreward, interested.

"Sure, why not," Ed answered as he leaned back in his chair. Al's expressions made him curious to see just how much had changed.

"Where'd you get that scar?" Al didn't need to indicate where, Ed knew it was as plain as day.

"Just a silly fight in school, it's not anything," Ed brushed it off lightly.

"Really?" It didn't sound like a question. The younger Elric glanced briefly at a nearby window, "I need to get back to the lab or they'll begin to wonder if I've fallen down the shute again." Al laughed, and Edward immediately knew he was missing out on a joke. "You could come with me," he offered.

"No," Ed instantly got up, "no, I'm alright." He began to walk away when Al grabbed his arm, he held Ed there for a few seconds. "I'm not going away again any time soon, ok?" Ed didn't look at his brother, he shrugged off Al's grasp with an edge to his movements. Something was different about Al, about Central, maybe it was Ed, and everyone else had moved on. Either way, Ed didn't like it. It irritated him to a certain point. Al didn't follow him again, he would've if it was like old times, but he didn't now. It wasn't his Al, that part was clear. This new Al's presence was much more intimidating, condescending, and wrong. Wrong to Ed, it didn't matter, he'd sort things out later. Now all he wanted was to sleep, going through worm holes was tiring and things had come at Edward much too fast. He needed time to think.

(a/n) Well that's the end of this chapter, it was kind of rushed at the end, but hey, it's late and I'm beat! Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to comment!


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